Pvrwire recently had an article on how expensive are HTPCs are in relation to other computers. To me, the big additions in cost are tuner cards and the computer cases. HTPC cases have typically been very expensive with prices well over $150, which is alot to pay for any enclosure. That got me wondering whether there were any cases under $100 that I would not mind having in my living room. Surprisingly I found a couple of good looking cases and I have listed them below. The main trade-off appears to be size, as the best looking cases are microATX. Using microATX cases can be challenging though not impossible. Just make sure you get a video card that fits. Note that all my prices are from Newegg.com on November 21, 2006.
nMediaPC HTPC 100 Silver Steel ($99). A microATX case that is rated as being only 38 decibals. Very nice.
Antec NSK2400 ($95). Being 17.5″ wide, this case would look great with other stereo equipment. It has two internal drive bays for hard drives.
nMediaPC HTPC-200 ($99.99). This case normally sells for $120 from Newegg but a $20 rebate drops it to my price threshold. This case is also a microATX case. Many reviews indicate that you should use a DVD drive that is shorter in length from a manuafacturer like Lite-on or Benq.
Wed, Nov 22, 2006
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